Neutrality source of freedom and dignity

by Nicole Duprat, France*

To all those who consider the inscription of neutrality in the Constitution like à rigid notion to put away it would be necessary to recall that freedom can’t exist without neutrality. Neutrality is a force which conveys values of civilisation: freedom, human dignity, unity, cooperation, solidarity.
   In France but also in the international medias, there were many heated debates condemning the neutrality of Switzerland, neutrality being qualified of cowardice, spinelessness. I can’t let that be said because it is a lie.
    To make a judgement, you have to know Switzerland. Do they know Switzerland in France? No. In the EU? Again, no, and certainly not in the United States! The fact that a person or a state like Switzerland is not actively involved in a conflict or a war should not be seen as cowardice or conformism! Every citizen who has retained their ability to think independently knows that the solution to a conflict lies beyond the simplistic logic of right or wrong. It can only be found through honest, objective and thus peaceful dialogue. However, this does overcome rifts.
    Even though the hermit Niklaus von Flüe, who was known far beyond the borders of Switzerland in his time, became a hermit out of an inner calling, for him, neutrality did not mean withdrawing from the world, but rather using his wise counsel to bring about solutions to disputes. True neutrality is associated with the effort to contribute to the resolution of a conflict through diplomacy. Switzerland has proven that it is good at this. It should provide its good offices to resolve conflicts even more actively, especially in today’s world.
    At the 1955 conference in Bandung, the many non-aligned states in attendance, especially the numerous Asian states, made it clear that those who remain neutral are thereby also making a contribution to peace in the world. They rejected the division of the world into two blocs, East and West, and the resulting Cold War. It was precisely their newly acquired status of neutrality that allowed many states to regain their freedom and human dignity after centuries of colonisation and forced imperialism. They were absolutely right in their demand to be treated as neutral countries! For the countries that became neutral, it was precisely this neutrality that enabled them to consolidate the internal structure of their country and at the same time strengthen their international position. Far from being a nuisance, neutrality made it possible to strengthen the architecture of the international system  
    Defence of peace, democracy, Human rights and international law are values which admit no compromise, no ambiguity; It is a commitment which relates to human dignity, one’s own as well as that of others. This requires a lot of courage and personal integrity but also mutual solidarity in a collective action.
    Constitution consecrates the democratic principle. Far from constituting a departure from democracy, the control of constitutionality guaranties the conditions of democracy; So, is it honest to refuse it? Or is it the deny to promote openness, participation and transparency, essential criteria for the legitimacy of constitutional reforms that motive some?
    The Declaration of Human Rights adopted 10 December in 1945 amply recognises this: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
    To understand why the firm anchoring of neutrality in the constitution of a democratic country is of fundamental importance is to understand the necessity of protecting human dignity.
    Thank you for your attention. •

(Translation Current Concerns)

*   Nicole Duprat is a graduate of the Department of Law and International Relations at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques et diplomatiques, Aix-en-Provence (F). She worked as a teacher in French schools after training at the Pädagogisches Institut Saint Cassien (Marseille) and doing research in Florence. Nicole Duprat works as an artist and in arts and crafts in a corresponding association (AVF) in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. She is a contributor to Zeit-Fragen/Horizons et débats, living in the Avignon region (Provence).

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